1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hand-held marking device for marking in order to count each of a plurality of items in a set and more particularly a hand-held marking device which has a counting and displaying system for counting the items and displaying the number of counted items.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,064,888, entitled Counting Marker, issued to Robert L. Van de Mark on Nov. 20, 1962, teaches a counting marker which includes an elongated tubular casing and an elongated marking element with the elongated tubular casing. When marking pressure is applied to the counting marker it mechanically closes a pair of contacts thereby causing an electronic circuit to advance the count in a counter. U.S. Pat. No. 3,120,924, entitled Combined Marking and Counting Instrument, issued to Robert L. Van de Mark on Feb. 11, 1964, teaches a combined marking and counting instrument.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,128,889, entitled Pen Type Electronic Digital Calculator, issued to Shin Ojima, Kazuhiko Ohgami, Kazutaka Watanabe, Masaru Nohara and Kenji Yamamoto on Dec. 5, 1978, teaches a pen type electronic digital calculator which has a barrel, a writing implement which is mechanically coupled to the barrel, a microprocessor disposed within the barrel and a display, input keys and an on/off switch which are electrically coupled to the microprocessor. The input keys are arranged in three rows on one-half part of the barrel in its lengthwise direction. When the three rows of keys are held substantially horizontal, the top surface of each key of the central row is higher than the top surfaces of the keys of the other row. The keys of the respective rows are mounted so that they are longitudinally spaced from the keys of the adjacent rows. Each key is disposed at the center of a recess formed in the barrel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,742, entitled Electronic Digital Watch, issued to Jerome H. Lemelson on Aug. 21, 1984, teaches a writing implement which contains an electronic computer for computing and displaying time. The implement includes an elongated barrel with a writing element having a tip which protrudes from one end thereof and an electronic time signal generating device which is defined by a narrow elongated support having a circuit board disposed within the barrel and containing display elements which extend in a row longitudinally of the barrel of the implement which display is aligned behind an elongated window which extends across a longitudinally extending opening in the wall of the barrel. Structures are provided for easily removing a battery with respect to the barrel in order to arrange it in circuit with the electronic circuit which is supported by the circuit board. Structures are also provided for easily removing the circuit board from and repairing or replacing it with another circuit board.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,274, entitled Pen with Built-in Illumination, issued to Rolf Hanggi on May 21, 1985, teaches a writing implement having a built-in illumination which includes a barrel which dimensioned in order to contain a small battery in contact with one of the terminal of a lightbulb which is held in place axially in the barrel by a corrugated metal bulb holder and by a translucent spacer which extends to the end of the barrel where a marking element is located and opposite the end disposed to contain the battery. A metal spring-clip has a sliding portion which is mounted externally to the wall of the barrel and is disposed in a manner in order to make electrical contact with the battery therein. The sliding portion is free to slide down the exterior of the wall of the barrel and to make contact with the bulb holder through a hole in the wall of the barrel thereby completing the circuit between the lightbulb and the battery using the length of the spring-clip as a primary conductive element in the system.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,738,037, entitled Tubular Assembly having Indicia Displaying Means, issued to Erika Daley on June 12, 1973, teaches a tubular assembly having an inner shell which is provided with indicia in the form of English-Metric equivalent units of weights and measures and which is arranged in circumferenctially spaced, longitudinal rows on the outer surface of the shell. A sleeve is mounted about the shell for rotation relative thereto and is provided with a longitudinal row of windows which register with a selected row of indicia which are carried by the shell. Lenses are carried by the sleeve for magnifying the image produced by the indicia on the shell and displayed through the windows of the sleeve.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,874, entitled Dye Marking Device, issued to David Durand on June 12, 1979, teaches a marking device wherein a pen-type device is utilized to store and enable markings to be produced from a dye which is suspended in a suspension medium such as water. The dye is of the heat sublimatible type and is finely ground. The dye is maintained in suspension by the rolling action of a ball trapped within a reservoir defined by the barrel. A primary chamber is positioned adjacent the reservoir and a porous marking element is in turn frictionally and slidably positioned in the primary chamber. A valve which is normally urged to a closed position enables ink to move from the reservoir into the primary chamber when the valve is caused to open as by pressure against the marking element.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,585,364, entitled Ball Pen Combined with Electronic Watch, issued to Dar-Kuei Liaw on Apr. 29, 1986, teaches a ball pen which is combined with an electronic watch.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,327, entitled Writing Pen with Correction Fluid Reservoir, issued to Joe O. Guzman on July 15, 1986, teaches a writing instrument which combines an ink applicator with a correction fluid reservoir.